Comments on: After job cuts, do survivors pay a bigger emotional toll than those laid off?

By: Todd

Todd — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:20:50 +0000

Having been the taqrget of layoff 5 times I can definately say, the survivors do suffer, but not nearly so much as the target of the layoff. Each and every situation is different as is each individual. I can definately say that your attitude has a great deal to do with how well your thrive. To Mike D I would strongly suggest that you seek counseling, to harbor that must anger and resentment is detremental to your health and to your chance of finding a new position.

This study sounds like just another way for our Government to waste our tax money on stupid and frivilous studys to boost their own egos and try to make us think that they are sympathetic and are trying to do something for us. If they truly cared they they would be doing things to help, not just doing worthless studies. Our government has been doing this to us for far too long and it is time for us to vote the clowns out and put people into office who will stop this nonsense. How can we continue to allow our jobs to be shipped overseas, Banks to merge and lay off larger and larger workforces, and our business climate to decline to the point where corporations have no choice but to lay off workers. I say it is time to place the blame squarely on the shoulders of our government and demand that they begin to turn this situation around.

By: SHJ

SHJ — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:25:55 +0000

About the only useful information the research offers is to stimulate debate. Otherwise, seems to be a lot of BS. Ask those of us who were laid off and have been unemployed for 6 months or more with no prospect of a job in sight how much more stressed we would feel if had survived a layoff and we still had our jobs. Sorry but feeling guilty about being a survivor just doesn’t compare to being blindsided by a layoff, never mind the complications presented due to one’s age, industry travails, etc. at the time of a layoff…

By: Thinking Out Loud

Thinking Out Loud — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:56:52 +0000

No Joy in Mudville!

By: bob

bob — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:16:18 +0000

sure the survivors still have a job. When dedicated employees are thrown to the wayside due to cutting back for others to survive. Try losing your dream..your home, your job, income, your credit, the animals you cared for then moving to an area where you have to put your kids on the floor when hearing bullets ring out in trying to survive on unemployment…yeah the survivors are traumatized. The ironicy is that stimulus money went to the banking culprits that forced a person to lose everything by predatory lending. You report to the commission of banks and your told get a lawyer with little to no income to go after rescued banks connected with AIG….and their flocks of lawyers picking up the pieces for piecemeals of balancing assets/liabilities of profit from the losses they created for the homeowners…then the vultures come in to take your home so happy to get a deal on your dream home from foreclosure while you have nothing left..but memories of what used to be…the banks are bailed out while the taxpayer sinks into oblivion

By: Keep Trying!

Keep Trying! — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:58:19 +0000

Middler,

You made lots of good points and there are many people who are similarly situated (former telecom, >50, etc.). That, however, doesn’t make it better because misery doesn’t love company. It is bothersome that when one completes an employment application, he must check the race/gender, etc. boxes–but there are no boxes for people over 40 or 50. Not coincidentally, males are being fired disproportionately in the workplace as employers have gotten the message from government that certain groups are not to be laid off. This is not the pursuit of victimhood, rather just the reality in 2009.

I believe that most companies won’t consider older workers even though they offer unmatched experience that, when applied correctly, will help their bottom line.

Many of the folks in management of most large telecom companies possessed the monopoly mindset that gave birth to these companies. They lacked the commitment to customers that is necessary for long-term survival. They chose not to transform their companies even though new technologies changed their environments. Unfortunately, millions of workers paid the price.

I remember desperately trying to get management to consider new products and services for our customers–but like our customers, I was ignored. Eventually, I chose to leave them because I knew the ultimate path these companies would take. Consolidation. Layoffs. Repeat.

The good news is that the Invisible Hand worked, but millions of people have not yet recovered from the fallout.

All I can say is good luck to you. Keep trying and pushing. I’ll be there doing the same.

By: JAMES

JAMES — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:35:11 +0000

to ‘new world’ bite me jerk

By: Thirdwheel Loser

Thirdwheel Loser — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:32:29 +0000

I know for a fact my excoworkers are having the time of their lives… Not one of them is worried about losing their job. In fact my ex boss just hired someone else who starts next week. So tell me if being laid is better again…. I have no health insurance, no income but unemployment and I have no where to go in the morning… yeah unemployment rocks!! NOT!!

By: mitzymy

mitzymy — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:32:17 +0000

I lost my job,along with 600 other people, as our company decided to close its doors. At first it was nice, as I filed for unemplyment for the first time in my life. I moved to a larger city, with the severance pay, and bought a house because I did not want to rent. I found lots of jobs, H&R Blocks tax service will hire anyone. I worked for United Airlines, and then I went into retail selling in the mall. I took the summers off and drew unemployment, and in the fall I went back to the mall for Holiday Seasonal help, until I started spending too much. Now I work part time at a retail store and I really don’t like it. They can’t keep people, and we have to always cover other departments. We work every weekend, so there goes time with the family. Being laid off is no picnic.

By: Jack

Jack — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:28:47 +0000

Doing that right now GeoffDawg for lower pay than the laid off employee made too! I am now basically repsonsible for 3 peoples jobs and yet still not one penny more for doing it… and if I could find something better out there I would quit in a heartbeat but there doesn’t seem to be too much out there.

By: frank

frank — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:28:23 +0000

let see being laid off = severance, and free unemployment money for 6 months or more to look for a better job or start somethign up yourself. Ive been laid off twice and foudn a better job each time.

Being a survivor = no raise, having a bonus that is 5% of your salary cut weeks before you were to get it, more work, rushing to the dr, dentist etc to get work done before you get laid off yourself…

makes sense to me